Thursday, 5 May 2011

Back down to earth.

I spent the best part of six hours at Cockersands today - including a circuit - in the hope of a second bite of the Kentish Plover, it was reported on the RBA pager service as being present at 10.40am but be assured it has not been seen since - up to 8.40pm - despite several birders searching. To be truthful I was pretty miffed at having grilled at least 900 Dunlin and 100+ Ringed Plover a 'good few' times to no avail, but....thats the reality of birding and you've just got to keep on plugging away at it.

Also of note at Cockersands, 15 Whimbrel, 28 Bar-tailed Godwit, and 4 Knot two of which were in their brick red plumage. On the circuit I noted 3 Whitethroat, 4 Sedge Warbler, 6 Tree Sparrow, a Chiffchaff, and a Skylark is the only one of two I've encountered to date this spring in the Cockersands area. On my way here I saw a Whitethroat on Jeremy Lane along with IT who I've not seen or heard of for some time....good to see you today IT. On the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock if I hadn't seen the 5 Eider hauled out of the river I'd have drawn a blank for anything of note.

At Conder Green it took me just a couple of minutes to see that Conder Pool was also void of almost anything though I note a pair of Lesser Black-backed Gull appear to have laid claim to one of the islands, bad news for all concerned. In the creeks 14 Black-tailed Godwit in stunning summer red, a Greenshank, SedgeWarbler, Whitethroat, Reed Bunting, and 4 House Martin today appears to be the total so far at River Winds.